Mickey Rourke (6 page)

S
O
M
ICKEY TRIED TO DO JUST THAT.
H
E LOOKED FOR ROLES IN OFF-
B
ROADWAY EXPERIMENTAL THEATER AND WAS HIRED, LARGELY ON THE BACK OF HIS IMPRESSIVE TRAINING.
B
UT HE QUIT MOST SHOWS DURING REHEARSALS AS HIS OLD PROBLEMS WITH AUTHORITY FIGURES RETURNED AND HE CLASHED WITH THE DIRECTORS.
I
F THE PLAY WASN’T GOING THE WAY HE WANTED, HE WOULD BE GONE.
I
T SEEMED BEING PART OF A THEATER COMPANY JUST WASN’T FOR HIM.

M
ICKEY GOT HIS FIRST SCREEN ACTING ROLE IN THE 1976 SHORT FILM
LOVE IN THE HAMPTONS
.
H
E HAD THE LEAD ROLE OF
S
WEDE, A WORKING-CLASS YOUNG MAN IN LOVE WITH A WAITRESS, AND HIS DEDICATION TO AUTHENTIC PERFORMANCES WAS ALREADY PRESENT.
A
MOMENT BEFORE FILMING A SCENE IN WHICH HIS CHARACTER WAKES UP IN THE MORNING, HE THREW A HANDFUL OF SAND IN HIS EYES IN ORDER TO CREATE THAT GRITTY, EYE-RUB FEELING PEOPLE OFTEN HAVE AS SOON AS THEY GET UP.
T
HE FIVE-DAY SHOOT WENT WELL AND
M
ICKEY STARTED TO THINK HIS FUTURE LAY IN FILM RATHER THAN THEATER.

B
UT MOVIES WERE MOSTLY MADE IN
L
OS
A
NGELES, WHEREAS
N
EW
Y
ORK WAS A THEATER TOWN.
A
COUPLE OF YEARS LATER,
M
ICKEY DECIDED TO TRY HIS LUCK IN FILMS AND RELOCATED TO
LA
, AIMING TO BECOME A STAR.

T
HE BOLD AMBITION GOT OFF TO A GOOD START WHEN WAS SIGNED UP FOR REPRESENTATION BY
J
OHN
T
RAVOLTA’S MANAGERS,
B
OB
L
E
M
OND AND
L
OIS
Z
ETTER, AND LATER GOT A GOOD UP-AND-COMING AGENT IN
B
ERNIE
C
ARNEOL, WHO WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK TRYING TO SECURE AUDITIONS FOR HIM.
N
OW
M
ICKEY JUST NEEDED TO LAND SOME ROLES.
B
UT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WHICH WOULD BE A CONSTANT BARRIER TO HIS EMPLOYMENT, THEN AND FOR YEARS TO COME.

W
HILE THE
A
CTORS’
S
TUDIO HAD GIVEN HIM THE TOOLS TO DO THE JOB, IT HADN’T TAUGHT HIM THE POLITICS OF THE INDUSTRY AND HOW THE BUSINESS WORKED.
T
HERE HAD BEEN NO CLASSES IN BUSINESS SKILLS.
C
ONSEQUENTLY, HE HAD NO CLUE HOW TO SELL HIMSELF TO CASTING AGENTS.
A
LL THE PLEASANTRIES OF KISSING ASS AND SUCKING UP TO THESE PEOPLE FOR A ROLE WERE A MYSTERY TO HIM.
M
ICKEY ALSO HAD A PARTICULAR ACTING TECHNIQUE WHERE HE WOULD WAIT FOR THE RIGHT FEELING TO DESCEND ON HIM BEFORE DELIVERING HIS LINES.
B
UT WITH DOZENS OF OTHER ACTORS WAITING TO AUDITION FOR THE SAME PART, CASTING AGENTS WANTED HIM TO GET ON WITH IT AND COULDN’T HANG AROUND UNTIL HE WAS EMOTIONALLY READY TO PERFORM.
A
S A RESULT,
M
ICKEY KEPT BLOWING THE OPPORTUNITIES WITH WHICH HE WAS PRESENTED.
H
E WENT THROUGH SEVENTY-FIVE AUDITIONS BEFORE HE GOT HIS FIRST PART.

T
HE ONLY STEADY WORK HE DID FIND DURING THAT TIME IN
LA
WAS AS A BOUNCER IN A
H
OLLYWOOD
B
OULEVARD TRANSVESTITE CLUB CALLED
D
ANIELLE’S.
H
E WAS KEPT BUSY BECAUSE THE CUSTOMERS WOULD COME IN HIGH ON ANGEL DUST, WHICH GAVE THEM A FEELING OF SUPERHUMAN strength and led to them getting into violent fights. Mickey would try and break things up while raging trannies picked up steel napkin holders from the tables and threw them at him. One night, the other bouncer whacked one muscle-bound, high-asa-kite transvestite over the head with a wooden club, but the club broke in half and the customer kept advancing. After that incident, Mickey quit as a bouncer but kept on working there in the slightly safer job of waiter. He couldn’t turn his back on Danielle’s entirely because he was getting the odd TV or film acting job here and there but never the kind of high-paying major role or regular work that would allow him to pursue acting full time.

T
HE BREAKTHROUGH OPPORTUNITY FINALLY CAME WHEN HE WENT ALONG ON HIS LUNCH BREAK FROM THE TRANSVESTITE CLUB TO AUDITION FOR A SMALL BUT FLASHY PART AS A STREETWISE ARSONIST ALONGSIDE
W
ILLIAM
H
URT IN THE 1981 THRILLER MOVIE
BODY HEAT
.
T
HIS TIME,
M
ICKEY GREATLY IMPRESSED THE CASTING AGENTS WITH HIS AUDITION AND WAS OFFERED THE PART – A ROLE WHICH WOULD FINALLY PUT HIM ON THE
H
OLLYWOOD MAP.

B
UT INSTEAD OF SAYING “
T
HANKS VERY MUCH” AND GRATEFULLY GRABBING THE JOB WITH BOTH HANDS,
M
ICKEY’S STUBBORN STREAK RETURNED AND HE INSISTED THE MOVIEMAKERS SHOULD IMPROVE THEIR FINANCIAL OFFER TO HIM OR HE WOULDN’T TAKE THE ROLE.
T
HE OFFER WAS $500 A DAY FOR TWO DAYS’ WORK, BUT
M
ICKEY, DESPITE BEING A VIRTUAL NOBODY, DEMANDED $1,000 A DAY.

H
IS AGENT,
B
ERNIE
C
ARNEOL, COULDN’T BELIEVE IT AND THOUGHT
M
ICKEY HAD LOST HIS MIND.
I
N NEAR DESPAIR, HE TOLD HIM, “
B
UT
M
ICKEY, YOU WORK IN A TRANSVESTITE CLUB… TAKE THE OFFER!”

S
HOWING AN UNWILLINGNESS TO COMPROMISE – WHICH WOULD BE THE HALLMARK OF HIS PERSONALITY FOR YEARS TO COME –
M
ICKEY HELD OUT FOR THE EXTRA $500 A DAY HE FELT HE WAS WORTH.
A
ND HE GOT IT.

I
T WASN’T SO MUCH THAT HE WAS BUSINESS SAVVY.
M
ICKEY JUST WANTED EVERYTHING DONE ON HIS OWN TERMS AS USUAL.
T
HIS “MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY” APPROACH ON
BODY HEAT
BECAME A FEATURE OF HIS FUTURE DEALINGS WITH FILM BOSSES.

M
ICKEY MADE THE ABSOLUTE MOST OF HIS OPPORTUNITY IN
BODY HEAT
, PLAYING THE PART TO PERFECTION WITH A MIX OF SWAGGER AND QUIET CONFIDENCE.
H
IS TWITCHY, SPELLBINDING PERFORMANCE CAUGHT THE EYE OF
H
OLLYWOOD’S TOP CASTING DIRECTORS.
H
E WAS NOW ON HIS WAY TO THE
H
OLLYWOOD DREAM.

L
ITTLE DID HE KNOW THEN, IT WOULD SOON TURN INTO A NIGHTMARE.

2
A L
IFE ON
S
CREEN
– P
ART
I

C
AKED IN MAKE-UP, SMEARED WITH THICK LIPSTICK, WEARING A RED BRA AND VARIOUS OTHER ITEMS OF WOMEN’S CLOTHING WHILE TOTTERING ALONG IN POWDER-BLUE LADIES’ SHOES,
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE BOARDED A PLANE FROM
LA
TO
V
ANCOUVER.
I
T WAS ALL PART OF HIS METHOD ACTING APPROACH TO PLAYING A TRANSVESTITE IN THE 2000 MOVIE
ANIMAL FACTORY
.

I
NSTEAD OF WAITING TO GET CHANGED ON THE SET IN
C
ANADA,
M
ICKEY DECIDED TO LIVE THE ROLE FOR REAL BY DONNING DRAG FOR THE PLANE JOURNEY TO THE FILMING LOCATION.
T
HE VERY CONVINCING OUTFIT HAD BEEN PAINSTAKINGLY PUT TOGETHER AFTER TEN DAYS’ SHOPPING AT FLAMBOYANT
LA
BOUTIQUES LIKE
T
RASHY
L
INGERIE.
H
E WAS WEARING SUCH LONG, FAKE FINGERNAILS THAT HE STRUGGLED TO PULL HIS FLIGHT TICKET OUT OF HIS POCKET AT THE BOARDING GATE.
A
LITTLE BOY BEHIND HIM WAS WATCHING IN FASCINATION.
M
ICKEY SMILED DOWN AT HIM BUT THE STRANGELY DRESSED STAR DIDN’T HAVE IN HIS TWO FRONT TEETH – WHICH ARE FALSE AS A LEGACY OF HIS BOXING DAYS – AND THE LITTLE FELLOW WAS SO SCARED HE RAN AND HID BEHIND HIS MOTHER’S SKIRT.

O
N THE FLIGHT,
M
ICKEY TOOK HIS SEAT AND NOTICED THE OTHER PASSENGERS STARING AT HIM.
U
NSETTLED BY THEIR ATTENTION, HE DEVELOPED A BLOTCHY RASH.
T
HE FLIGHT ATTENDANT CAME DOWN THE AISLE ASKING PASSENGERS, “
W
OULD YOU LIKE A DRINK, SIR?” OR “
W
OULD YOU LIKE A DRINK, MA’AM?”
S
HE GOT TO
M
ICKEY, LOOKED UNSURE, DISPENSED WITH BOTH “SIR” AND “MA’AM” AND ENQUIRED, “
C
AN
I
GET YOU ANYTHING?”

W
HEN HE GOT TO THE SET IN DRAG AND SAID HELLO, DIRECTOR
S
TEVE
B
USCEMI DIDN’T RECOGNIZE HIM.
E
VENTUALLY, THE STAR HAD TO SAY, “
I
T’S ME,
M
ICKEY!”
B
USCEMI LOOKED AGHAST AND REPLIED, “
J
ESUS
C
HRIST!”

M
ICKEY WAS SUPERB IN THE FILM – JUST ONE OF MANY GREAT PERFORMANCES HE HAS GIVEN OVER THE PAST THIRTY YEARS.

* * *

I
T’S IRONIC, IN VIEW OF
M
ICKEY
R
OURKE’S OFTEN DISAPPOINTING BOX-OFFICE RETURNS, THAT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN
S
TEVEN
S
PIELBERG’S ONLY MASSIVE FLOP.
M
ICKEY’S FIRST MOVIE CREDIT – HE’S ACTUALLY LISTED SIXTY-EIGHTH IN THE CAST LIST – COMES AS
P
RIVATE
R
EESE IN THE 1979 MOVIE ENTITLED
1941
, AN ABSURD WARTIME FARCE ABOUT
C
ALIFORNIANS LAPSING INTO A PANIC AT THE PROSPECT OF A
J
APANESE INVASION.
S
PIELBERG HAD INTENDED IT AS A “STUPIDLY OUTRAGEOUS CELEBRATION OF PARANOIA.”
W
ELL, HE GOT THE STUPID PART RIGHT.
A
UDIENCES QUITE RIGHTLY IGNORED THE MOVIE, WHICH STARRED
J
OHN
B
ELUSHI AND
D
AN
A
YKROYD.

T
HE ONLY SLIGHT CONSOLATION FOR
M
ICKEY WAS THAT THE FILM’S FAILURE WASN’T HIS FAULT.
H
E HUNG AROUND THE SET FOR TEN WEEKS BUT DIDN’T EVEN GET AN APPEARANCE IN THE FINAL CUT FOR HIS TROUBLE.
M
ICKEY WAITED FOR HIS PART TO MATERIALIZE, BUT IT NEVER DID – A ROUGH INTRODUCTION TO THE BIG TIME.

B
UT HE DID APPEAR IN A FEW SCENES OF
FADE TO BLACK
(1980), A WEIRD LITTLE HORROR MOVIE STARRING
D
ENNIS
C
HRISTOPHER AS A STRANGE young man whose obsession with movies leads him to dress up as film stars and carry out a killing spree. Mickey was eleventh on the cast list this time in the role of a bullying thug named Richie, but the movie failed to make any kind of impact.

H
E HAD HIGH HOPES FOR HIS NEXT FILM, THOUGH, AND WITH A BUDGET OF MORE THAN $50 MILLION WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?
P
LENTY, AS IT TURNED OUT.
T
HE FILM WAS
HEAVEN’S GATE
(1980), ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMMERCIAL AND CREATIVE DISASTERS OF ALL TIME.
A
RAMBLING WESTERN ABOUT CATTLEMEN IN OLD
W
YOMING,
HEAVEN’S GATE
DRAGS ON FOR AN ASS-NUMBING 219 MINUTES WITH NOTHING MUCH HAPPENING.

M
ICKEY WAS THRILLED TO BE WORKING WITH DIRECTOR
M
ICHAEL
C
IMINO AND CO-STAR
C
HRISTOPHER
W
ALKEN WHO, JUST A MONTH BEFORE FILMING STARTED, HAD BOTH WON
O
SCARS FOR
THE DEER HUNTER 
– A FAVORITE OF
M
ICKEY’S AND THE ONLY FILM HE HAS WATCHED MORE THAN THREE TIMES.
B
UT HIS EXCITEMENT GOT THE BETTER OF HIM.
N
ERVES TOOK HOLD AS HE PREPARED TO SHOOT A SCENE WITH
W
ALKEN, AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE AND IDOL OF HIS FROM
T
HE
A
CTORS’
S
TUDIO, AND WHEN
C
IMINO CALLED “
A
CTION!”
M
ICKEY FROZE, COMPLETELY UNABLE TO SAY HIS LINES.

C
IMINO’S REACTION WAS TO TAKE
M
ICKEY ASIDE, CALL HIM A “DUMB SON OF A BITCH” AND HIT HIM WITH HIS HAT.
M
ICKEY ACTUALLY RESPONDED WELL TO THAT APPROACH, WAS FINE FROM THAT POINT ON, AND HAD A LOT OF RESPECT FOR
C
IMINO.

H
E ENDED UP BONDING WELL WITH
W
ALKEN, WHO HAD ONE OF THE LEAD ROLES AS A HIRED GUN WHILE
M
ICKEY HAD A TINY PART AS ONE OF HIS GUN-TOTING SIDEKICKS,
N
ICK
R
AY, THIRTY-THIRD IN THE CREDITS THIS TIME.
D
ESPITE GETTING OFF TO A BAD START, HE GRADUALLY ALSO MADE A GOOD IMPRESSION ON DIRECTOR
M
ICHAEL
C
IMINO, AND LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE MOVIE-MAKING PROCESS DURING THE TWELVE WEEKS HE WAS ON THE SET.

C
IMINO WENT WAY OVER BUDGET AND SCHEDULE, TAKING EIGHT MONTHS TO SHOOT THE DEBACLE.
A
FTER FIVE DAYS ON SET, HE WAS ALREADY FOUR DAYS BEHIND SCHEDULE.
H
E WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FILM SHOULD BE HIS UNIQUE VISION AND, TO ENSURE THAT HAPPENED, HE POSTED AN ARMED SECURITY GUARD OUTSIDE THE EDITING ROOM TO KEEP EXECUTIVES FROM THE FILM STUDIO,
U
NITED
A
RTISTS, AWAY.
I
TS SPECTACULAR FAILURE AT THE BOX OFFICE BANKRUPTED
U
NITED
A
RTISTS, AND LED TO A
H
OLLYWOOD RE-THINK ON BIG-BUDGET EPICS.
T
HE MOVIE COST $36 MILLION AND MADE BACK JUST $1 MILLION AT
US
THEATERS.
C
RITICS FOUND THE STORY TOTALLY INCOHERENT AND WERE PARTICULARLY SAVAGE ABOUT
C
IMINO, WHOSE CAREER SUFFERED FROM THE SETBACK.